Family

Issues

Stage Details

Legislation -
Bill Passed
(House)
(389-15) -
Nov. 29, 2011(Key vote)

Vote Result

Yea Votes

Nay Votes

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that repeals country limits for immigrant visas made available to employment-based immigrants, effective September 30, 2011.

Highlights:

Repeals country limits for immigrant visas made available to employment-based immigrants, whereas existing law specified that no more than 7 percent of the total number of family-sponsored and employment-based visas may be awarded to natives of any one country (Sec. 2).

Requires the following percentages of visas to be reserved in the following fiscal years for immigrants with advanced degrees or exceptional abilities, or immigrants who are professionals, skilled workers, or workers capable of performing unskilled labor for which qualified workers are not available in the United States (Sec. 2):

For fiscal year 2012, 15 percent of skilled immigrant visas shall be made available to immigrants who are not natives of the top 2 countries in fiscal year 2010 with the highest numbers of immigrants obtaining skilled immigrant visas;

For fiscal year 2013, 10 percent of skilled immigrant visas shall be made available to immigrants who are not natives of the top 2 countries in fiscal year 2011 with the highest numbers of immigrants obtaining skilled immigrant visas; and

For fiscal year 2014, 10 percent of skilled immigrant visas shall be made available to immigrants who are not natives of the top 2 countries in fiscal year 2012 with the highest numbers of immigrants obtaining skilled immigrant visas.

Limits the number of visas reserved for skilled immigrants from a single country that is not 1 of the top 2 countries with the highest numbers of immigrants obtaining skilled immigrant visas to no more than 25 percent for a single foreign state, or 2 percent for a dependent area, of all such visas awarded (Sec. 2).

Limits the number of unreserved visas made available to skilled immigrants from a single country to no more than 85 percent of the total number of skilled immigrant visas available (Sec. 2).